Hypsipyle

Family: Lemnos · Role: queen · First appears: Book I 5

In Book I, at Lemnos, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, sending him adrift in a hollow chest. As darkness fell, Aethalides persuaded her to receive the newcomers; she then summoned the Lemnian women to an assembly and decided to send a messenger to the ship. She sent Iphinoe to summon its captain, while Polyxo, her aged nurse, rose among the women.

The Argonauts believed Thoas dead and recognized Hypsipyle as queen. She offered Jason settlement on Lemnos and the prerogative of her father, but he declined, saying, “But let the sovereignty of the island be thine,” and continued onward because of the trials before him. When he departed, Hypsipyle seized his hands and prayed, her tears flowing for the loss of her lover.

By Book III, Jason wore the dark robe Hypsipyle had given him as a memorial of their embraces. In Book IV, Thoas left something to Hypsipyle, and she gave Jason a sacred, fair-wrought robe as a guest-gift.

Relationship record

Life events

• Hypsipyle spares Thoas and sends him adrift in a hollow chest.(Book I 5 · 📍 Lemnos)
  • With: Thoas
  • “And of all the women, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, who was king over the people; and she sent him in a hollow chest, to drift over the sea, if haply he should escape.”
• Aethalides persuades Hypsipyle to receive the newcomers.(Book I 5 · 📍 Lemnos)
  • With: Aethalides
  • “He at that time persuaded Hypsipyle to receive the new-comers as the day was waning into darkness;”
• Hypsipyle summons the Lemnian women to an assembly.(Book I 5 · 📍 Lemnos)
  • “Now the Lemnian women fared through the city and sat down to the assembly, for Hypsipyle herself had so bidden.”
• Hypsipyle decides to send a messenger to the ship.(Book I 5 · 📍 Lemnos)
  • “If this purpose please you all, now will I even send a messenger to the ship.”
• The Argonauts believe Thoas dead and recognize his daughter Hypsipyle as queen.(Book I 6)
  • With: Thoas
  • “And they deemed that Thoas was dead and that his beloved daughter Hypsipyle was queen”
• Hypsipyle offers Jason settlement and the prerogative of her father Thoas.(Book I 6)
  • With: Jason
  • “Do ye therefore stay and settle with us; and shouldst thou desire to dwell here, and this finds favour with thee, assuredly thou shalt have the prerogative of my father Thoas;”
• Jason declines Hypsipyle's sovereignty and chooses to continue onward because of pressing trials.(Book I 6)
  • With: Jason
  • “But let the sovereignty of the island be thine; it is not in scorn I yield it up, but grievous trials urge me on.”
• Jason departs Lemnos after bidding farewell to Hypsipyle.(Book I 7 · 📍 Lemnos)
  • With: Jason
  • “And Aeson’s son in admiration thus replied: “Hypsipyle, so may all these things prove propitious by the favour of the blessed gods.”
• Hypsipyle gives Jason a sacred robe as a guest-gift.(Book IV 4)
  • With: Jason
  • “and she gave that fair-wrought guest-gift with many another marvel to Aeson’s son to wear.”

Book I 5

• parent: Thoas “And of all the women, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, who was king over the people”
• with Aethalides (Aethalides persuaded Hypsipyle to receive the Argonauts.) “He at that time persuaded Hypsipyle to receive the new-comers as the day was waning into darkness”
• protégé: Thoas (Hypsipyle protects Thoas by sending him away to escape.) “And of all the women, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, who was king over the people; and she sent him in a hollow chest, to drift over the sea, if haply he should escape.”
• with Polyxo (Polyxo is identified as Hypsipyle's nurse.) “and then rose up her dear nurse Polyxo, for very age halting upon her withered feet”

Book I 6

• servant: Iphinoe “The maiden Hypsipyle daughter of Thoas, sent me on my way here to you, to summon the captain of your ship, whoever he be, that she may tell him a word that pleases the heart of the people, and she bids yourselves, if ye wish it, straightway enter the land and the city with friendly intent.”
• parent: Thoas “The maiden Hypsipyle daughter of Thoas, sent me on my way here to you, to summon the captain of your ship, whoever he be, that she may tell him a word that pleases the heart of the people, and she bids yourselves, if ye wish it, straightway enter the land and the city with friendly intent.”
• protégé: Jason “Do ye therefore stay and settle with us; and shouldst thou desire to dwell here, and this finds favour with thee, assuredly thou shalt have the prerogative of my father Thoas; and I deem that thou wilt not scorn our land at all; for it is deepsoiled beyond all other islands that lie in the Aegaean sea.”

Book I 7

• courtship with Jason “And so Hypsipyle too prayed, seizing the hands of Aeson’s son, and her tears flowed for the loss of her lover:”

Book III 9

• with Jason (interaction) “round him he placed a dark robe, which Hypsipyle of Lemnos had given him aforetime, a memorial of many a loving embrace.”
• with Jason (interaction) “round him he placed a dark robe, which Hypsipyle of Lemnos had given him aforetime, a memorial of many a loving embrace.”

Book IV 4

• with Thoas (Thoas passed the sacred robe to Hypsipyle.) “and Thoas left it to Hypsipyle”
• with Jason (Hypsipyle gave the robe to Jason.) “and she gave that fair-wrought guest-gift with many another marvel to Aeson’s son to wear”

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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.